The present invention generally relates to a coin-operated actuation mechanism for vending machines and, more particularly, is concerned with an anti-vandalism device used in the actuation mechanism.
Products, such as gumballs and plastic capsules or balls containing candy or other novelties inside, are well-known and universally popular with consumers. Typically these products are sold in bulk vendors commonly referred to as vending machines. The vending machine basically includes a product reservoir, a coin-operated actuation mechanism, a dispensing mechanism and a product discharge structure. Historically, these four basic components of a vending machine were designed to cooperate in a single dispensing cycle, in response to insertion of a coin of predetermined denomination into a coin deposit or insertion slot on the actuation mechanism, to serially transfer an item or items of product from the product reservoir down through the dispensing mechanism to an external discharge location via the product discharge structure.
Vending machines of this general type have from time to time been subjected to vandalism and theft. In particular, the efforts of vandals and thieves have been directed toward penetrating the coin insertion slot and bypassing or overriding features in place in the interior of the actuation mechanism, such as pivotal coin diameter sensing dogs, designed to check whether the correct denomination of coin has been inserted through the coin slot and into a coin receiving recess of a rotatable coin carrier wheel of the actuation mechanism located within the vending machine. Typically, plastic straws, paper clips or stiff wires are inserted through the coin insertion slot to defeat the dogs and obtain the merchandise without paying for it, in other words, by theft.
This problem has been recognized for many years. For example, it was discussed in a 1961 patent to Weitzman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,557. More recently, it was discussed in a 2000 patent to Schwarzli, U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,650, and in a 2005 patent to Santilli, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,328. Different mechanical devices have been proposed at various times in an attempt to block the efforts of vandals and thieves. For example, in the Schwarzli patent a blocking member in the form of a rocker bar is disclosed which is biased to a rest position retracted from a coin insertion slot. The rocker bar is actuated by rotation of a cam disc, mounted on the coin mechanism shaft which is turned by use of an external handle, to pivot from the rest position to a blocking position in which the stem of the rocker bar substantially covers the coin insertion slot and also prevents the cam disc and shaft from continuing and the handle from further turning. While this mechanical device might be effective for a while in blocking access through the coin insertion slot during the most vulnerable part of a single dispensing cycle, the presence of the device would be visible to the vandals and thieves by looking into the coin insertion slot and so attract their attention to the part of the actuation mechanism where they need to concentrate their efforts in attempting to circumvent the normal operation of the device. Furthermore, the adoption of the device would appear to entail changes to the pre-existing structural makeup of the actuation mechanism so significant that such changes might be deemed too expensive and radical to constitute an optimum practical solution to the problem.
It is well known that vandals and thieves are very resourceful types who have always seemed to find new ways to defeat the various devices that have been proposed and even in instances where they may not be successful in stealing items, at a minimum they tend to inflict sufficient damage on vending machines in trying to circumvent the normal operation of such devices that they impose burdensome costs of repair and replacement onto vending machine owners.
Consequently, it would appear that a need still remains for an innovation which will provide a more lasting solution to this problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.